“In the last few years, surfing has become very popular in Israel,” says Orian, second-generation proprietor of TopSea Surf Club in Tel Aviv. “A lot of kids and adults are coming [to Israel] from all over the world just to learn how to surf.”

That’s because Israel’s 186 miles of coastline offer great swells for beginners and laid-back surfers.

One visitor from New York notes that a growing number of surfers in Tel Aviv are female, “and that’s just awesome.”